Ship&#39;s cargo loading gear



June 20, 1950 T. D. BOWES SHIPS CARGO LOADING GEAR 's Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1945 INVENTOR.

Tuoms DBowss June 20, 1950 T. D. BOWES 2,512,477

SHIPS CARGO LOADING GEAR Filed Feb. 8, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet? June 20, 1950 T. D. BOWES SHIPS CARGO LOADING GEAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 8, 1945 INVENTOR. THOMAS D Bowes BY g/s AIToRA/EY' Patented June 20, 1950 UN-Ll TED ;S TAT ES PATENT OFFICE TS'HI'PS "CARGO LOADING Thomas-D. Bowes, Cynwyd, Pa.

Ap licationFebi-uary 8,1945, serial No.7576,8'82

Claims.

My invention is an 'improvedships *cargo loading gear, and a leading object of'my invention is to provide a'nnitary apparatus suitable for expeditious and permanent installation amidships and preferablybetweencargo holdsso that a plurality of holds may be serviced from asingle installation. Where a ship-contains more than two holds, the intermediate hold may be advantageous'ly made "of greater length than the end holds and a loading'unit placed between each e'n'd hold and the center hold: each unit having a boom of sufiicient length to service the end hold and service half "or moreof the center held.

In its preferred form, each loading unit comprises a crane mounted upon a rotatable platform forming the top of a rotatable weathertight housing containingand protecting the op- "erating mechanisms for the load and topping cables of th'ecrane. The housing "may also contain amotive'sourcefor slewing the housing about 'its vertical axis to'shift the crane boom to any desired angular position. The housing is journailed-in a fixed casingandsoconnected there- "withthat any tendency of the housing to tilt,

due to'crane loading, is positively resisted without the "necessity for a counterbalance.

The-characteristic features and advantages of :loading units, with parts broken away; Fig. 4

is a vertical sectional view of the cargo loading unit shown in Fig. 3 with parts broken away; Fig. 5 is an irregular horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary -detached--view of a portion of the upper tilt-restrainingmedhariism embodied in my invention; Fig. 7 is -anenlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 1-4 of Fig. 4;

and Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8- 8 of Fig. 5.

the-drawings, I-have illustrated cargo load- 'ing units embodying -my-invention mounted on a ship havingahull -ofany desired construction and containing cargo holds accessible through hatchways land 3,thecentral hold and-hatchwaybeing somewhat longer than the'end -ones. "Ihe side edges-of-the hatchways-are bounded by lore .andait-coamings4and- B and the athwartship edges of the-hatchways are bounedbycoamrings 6, "l, 8, 9, land ll, 'for supporting hatch :covers (not shown).

The spaces between thepair of juxtaposed coamings I and 8 and between the pair of juxq top'osed coamings 9 and 10, as well as beyond the 2 'coamings "4, 596 and 'H 'are covered by permanent deck plates, generally consisting of steel plates secured to ,ligid, "deck beams and forming a base.

A cargo loading unit 12 embodying -my inventionis mounted amidships-on the deck "sections between the warnings of each pair of coamings I, *8 'and 9, l0. Each'unit-comprises a base 13 'weldedpr otherwise fixed to the deck'section and -forming a step bearing [4 providing-a circular race ring on which rotates -a-series of spaced 1 rollers 1'5 journalled in the annual cage or retainer rings 1-6.

A metallic casing I 1; preferably of cylindrical shape, is welded or otherwise permanently fixed to the deck section-and to the'coamings'l, 8 (or 9, 1 0) "concentrically *with theaxis of the cage P6. The casing H preferably extends substantially above the tops of the coamings and terminates in -a flange 18 forming a 'F-hea'd on the casing.

A pair ofaxially spaced "rings 19 and 20 are welded,-or otherwise firmly fixed, to the inner peripheral surface'of the casing l-1 intermediate the *top and bottom thereof each of these rings having an axiallyconcave surface l9 -or -20 adapted to form a'spheroidal raceway. An-annular :channel'member 21 is *welded, or otherwise seourelyfixed, to the external periphery of the casing H-addacent to the=upper portion thereof and :contains an annular rack- 22 with upzvwardly projectingfteeth.

A housing, preferably in-ithe form of :a metal- ;lic, :zcylindrioal, .zweather-tight tank .23, is telescoped'swithinlthe casing =l."|.'and provided withan :annular ibottom .step lbearing -24 which rests on the .zrollers i5. JIhe Lexternal periphery of .the tank has :fixed cthereto bearmg .;rings .25 .and .26

vhaving. respectively. :axially .moncave :faces 25' and 26 complementary to .the faces 19 and 20' .and formingtherewith:races .Ior :rollers 21 suspended on pintles ,128 .from (cross. pieces -29 of .fiexible, annular -;cages. .:Each of :the acages comprises pivotally conected, tapering links .30 supported.-by:axles.3 I non :which areljournalledzrollers 32 riding on the top faces of the respective pairs of race rings I9, 25 and 20, 26. Axial movement of the rollers .21 on the bolts 28 may be limited by washers 33 and the curved .straps 34 which vare'held in placeby nuts 35. p

The top of the tank 23 forms .a. rectangular platform 36 having .a series of bifurcated hangers 3"! depending therefrom and embracing the upper portion of the casing l1. Each furcation of each hanger 3'1 hasarotatable roller 38 securedthereto by a radially disposed bolt 39 and nut 40. The rollers 38 engage the under surfaces of the flange J8 and-form with the hangers 31 hooks preventing upward axial displacement of the tankfza'relatively to the casing ll butpermitting 'free rotatio'n of the tank. 7

The :antiiricti'onarmounting fof the cylindrical be secured. 1

- cage from which said devices are suspended, axles housing 23 within the casing 11, above described, permits the free and easy rotation of the housing 23 within the casing but effectively prevent any tilting or axial displacement of the housing. The housing may be rotated in any suitable manner,

as for instance by the engagement of a pinion 1.? or cogwheel 4| with the rack 22; the pinion 4| being mounted on a shaft 42 revoluble by an electric motor within the housing 23. .v

The platform 36 has fixed thereto a short, vertical post 43 provided with sheaves 44 and 45 and having its top rigidly positioned by a diagonally of the boom 41 has journalled thereon a sheave 49 for the topping cable and the outer end of the boom has journalled thereon a sheave 50 for the load cable 52 which runs through a usual tackle block for supporting a loading hook (not shown). The cables 5| and 52 are wound on the topping cable drum 53 andload cable drum 54. 5

The topping cable drum is operable by an electric topping motor and control 55 and the load cable drum is operable by an electric load motor and control 56 housed withinthe tank 23 and controlled by switches (not shown) in the cab 0 57 mounted on the platform 36 between the legs 46 of the A-frame.

It will be understood that in loading or unloading a vessel, the elevations of the booms and the positions of the tackle block and hook (not shown) are regulated from the cab 51 by controlling the backward or forward rotation of the motors 55 and 55, and that the housing 23, plat- .form 35, and crane mounted thereon may be .turned'to any desired angle by slewing the housing by rotating the gear 4| onthe rack 22.

My improvements permit the booms as well as the posts to, be made relatively shortwithout impairing emciency, and by locating the loading mechanismsbetween adjacent hatchways, they may be used forv removin stacking orreplacing hatch, covers, for loading or .unloading either .hold, and. the work maybe carried on so as to M1 fill or empty all the. holdsw substantially at-the same time. When not in use, the booms maybe lashed in fore and aft positions above .the hatch covers and interpose little or no obstruction to visibility, to passage under-bridges or to deck.

loading. When lashed fast, the loading mechanisms provide supports to which deck cargo may Having described my invention-I claim: 1. Cargo loading gear comprising a base con- .taining a plurality of hatchways bordered by coamings, a casing fixed on said base between i and held by said coamings, a weather-tight'cylincasing, a housing rotatable within said casing, a crane mounted on said housing, complementary 70 race rings secured to the housing and casing, anti-friction devices between said race rings, 9.

extending radially of the axis of said race rings and supporting said cage, and rollers o'n'the ends I Number 4 of said axles and engaging the upper surfaces of said race rings.

'3. A cargo loading gear comprising a base forming a bearing, a hollow tank rotatable on said bearing, and having a substantially vertical 'cylindrical wall, a housing concentric with said tank and having a cylindrical wall with substantially vertical inner and outer faces, and a rim around the upper portion of said wall, hangers 10 connected with said tank and having legs straddling said housing wall and overlying the inner and outer walls thereof and having rollers for engaging the under surface of said rim to limit the movement of said tank away fromsaid bearing, and a crane carried b'y said tank.

4,. A cargo loading gear comprising a base forming a bearing, ahollow tank rotatable on said bearing and havinga substantially vertical cylindrical wall, a housing concentric with said tank and having a cylindrical wallwith substantially vertical inner and outer faces, complementary, concentricbearings respectively carried by said tank wall and housing wall,'antifriction rollers between said bearings, connectors extending substantially vertically along the walls of said tank and housing and limiting relative axial movement thereof, {a "crane carried by said tank, and crane operating mechanism housed within said tank and shielded from weather thereby.

5. A cargo loading mechanism comprising a base forming a race, a weathertight'tank having a bottom member forming a race complementary to said first named race, anti-friction devices between said races, an anchored casing surrounding said tank and having a ring forming'a had; around the upper portion thereof, antifriction devices suspended from said tank and engaged beneath said track, race rings secured to the upper portions and lower portions of the tank and casing and arranged in complementary named track, a crane mounted on said tank and crane operating mechanism within said tank.

THOMAS D. BOWES.

' REFERENQES CITED .The following references, are of. record. in the .file of this patent: H; V.

UNITED STATES PATENTS V I Name Date 22,811 Jones Feb. 1, 1859 1,023,006 "Carriker Apr. 9,1912 1,235,768 Cornbrooks Aug. 7,1917 1,549,508.... Robinson Aug. 11, 1925 1,560,194 Armstrong Nov. 3, 1925 1,598,723 Holmes Sept. 7,1926 1,697,261 Daughs Jan. 1,1929 1,706,441 Daughs Mar. 26, 1929 1 1,917,053 Nelson etal, July 4, 1933 1,939,037 Bogert 1-, Dec. 12, 1933 2,071,905 Smith Feb. 23, 1937 2,139,960 Kaufi'man Dec. 13,1938 2,272,949 Kidder Feb. 10,-1942 2,272,958 Weise Feb. 10,1942 2,313,084 I Manly Mar. 9, 1943 2,354,182 7 Christoffersen; ,July 25,1944 2,355,235 Nickles Aug. 8, 1944 I FOREIGN-PATENTS' 1; N m l n Da 16,558 Norway Dec. 13, 1906 

